Heat exchanger having flow control device

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger includes a housing having a peripheral swelling extended up from an upper surface and located around an opening and having a peripheral flange extended into the opening and having a groove formed through the peripheral swelling, another housing includes a peripheral recess located around an opening and a peripheral flange extended into the opening and having a duct extended through the peripheral recess, to form a flowing passage together with the groove of the previous housing when the other housing is disposed above the previous housing, and the peripheral flanges of the housings are superposed and contacted with each other when the previous housing is disposed above the other housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly to a heat exchanger having an improved flow controlling or guiding structure or device, for suitably sealing or guiding the heat medium or fluid to flow through the heat exchanger, and for allowing heat exchanging plates or boards or housings to be changeably disposed and superposed above other.

2. Description of the Prior Art Typical heat exchangers comprise a receptacle including a chamber formed therein for receiving a heat medium, such as water or fluid, and an inlet and an outlet provided therein for allowing the heat medium or water or fluid to flow into and out of the chamber of the receptacle. The receptacle further includes a number of plates or boards or housings disposed therein, and superposed with each other, and each having a wavy structure arranged to allow the heat medium or water or fluid to flow through the wavy plates or boards or housings, and to allow the heat medium or water or fluid to be heat exchanged indirectly with the other heat medium within the chamber of the receptacle.

The formation or the provision of the wavy structure of the plates or boards or housings is arranged for increasing the contacting area between the plates or boards or housings and the heat media, and for increasing the heat exchanging effect. The plates or boards or housings of the receptacle further includes one or more openings or passages formed therein, for controlling or guiding the heat medium to suitably flow through the plates or boards or housings.

The plates or boards or housings may be disposed and superposed with each other, and the plates or boards or housings may be randomly or selectively disposed one above the other. However, the openings or passages formed within the plates or boards or housings may not be suitably aligned with each other when different plates or boards or housings are disposed above the other, and the plates or boards or housings may include different structure, such that two or more mold devices are required to form and to make different plates or boards or housings.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional heat exchanging plates or boards or housings for the heat exchangers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger including an improved flow controlling or guiding structure or device, for suitably sealing or guiding the heat medium or fluid to flow through the heat exchanger, and for allowing heat exchanging plates or boards or housings to be changeably disposed and superposed above other.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger including a number of housings having a symmetric structure, to allow the housings to be made with the same mold device, and to suitably decrease the manufacturing cost for the heat exchanger.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat exchanger comprising a first housing including an opening formed therein, and including an upper surface having a peripheral swelling extended upwardly therefrom and located around the opening thereof, the peripheral swelling including a peripheral flange extended into the opening thereof, and including a groove formed through the peripheral swelling thereof, and a second housing including an opening formed therein, and including an upper surface having a peripheral recess formed therein and located around the opening thereof, and including a peripheral wall extended therefrom and located between the peripheral recess and the opening thereof, and a peripheral flange extended into the opening thereof, the second housing including a duct extended through the peripheral recess thereof and having a pathway formed therein, the groove of the first housing and the pathway of the second housing form a flowing passage altogether for allowing a heat medium to flow through the peripheral swelling and the peripheral recess of the first and the second housings when the second housing is disposed above the first housing, and the peripheral flanges of the first and the second housings are superposed and contacted with each other when the first housing is disposed above the second housing, to guide the heat medium to flow through the peripheral swelling and the peripheral recess of the first and the second housings only when the second housing is disposed above the first housing.

The peripheral flange of the first housing is preferably parallel to and in the same level of the upper surface thereof. The first housing includes an inner peripheral surface formed thereon and preferably inclined relative to the upper surface thereof, and having the peripheral flange extended from the inner peripheral surface thereof, to form and define the opening thereof. The first housing includes an inner peripheral channel formed and defined within the peripheral swelling.

The peripheral flange of the second housing is also preferably parallel to and in the same level of the upper surface thereof. It is also preferable that the peripheral flange of the second housing is extended from the peripheral wall thereof, and extended into the opening thereof, to form or define the opening thereof.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating two superposed heat exchanging plates or boards or housings for a heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the heat exchanger; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the heat exchanger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. a heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention comprises a number of heat exchanging plates or boards or housings 10, 30 disposed and superposed with each other, and each having a wavy structure 80 arranged to allow the heat medium or water or fluid to flow through the wavy plates or boards or housings 10, 30 with an increased contacting area, and to allow the heat medium or water or fluid to be heat exchanged indirectly with the other heat medium, such as ambient air or the like (not shown).

The formation or the provision of the wavy structure of the plates or boards or housings is also provided for increasing the contacting area between the plates or boards or housings and the heat media, and for increasing the heat exchanging effect. The plates or boards or housings 10, 30 each further includes one or more passages or openings 11, 31 formed therein, and aligned with each other, for controlling or guiding the heat medium to suitably flow through the passages or openings 11, 31 of the plates or boards or housings 10, 30.

For example, the housings 10 each includes an upper surface 12 having a circular or peripheral swelling 13 extended upwardly therefrom, and formed or located around each of the openings 11 thereof. The peripheral swelling 13 includes a flat circular or peripheral upper surface 14 formed thereon, and an inclined inner peripheral surface 15 formed thereon, and further includes a peripheral flange 16 extended into the opening 11 thereof, and preferably parallel to or in the same level of the upper surface 12 thereof, in order to form or define an inner peripheral channel 17 within the peripheral swelling 13 (FIG. 3).

The other housings 30 each also includes an upper surface 32 having a circular or peripheral recess 33 formed therein, and formed or located around each of the openings 31 thereof, and includes an inclined peripheral wall 34 extended therefrom and located between the peripheral recess 33 and the opening 31 thereof, and having a peripheral flange 35 extended into the opening 31 thereof and preferably parallel to or in the same level of the upper surface 32 thereof, in order to form or define the peripheral recess 33 and the opening 31 thereof.

It is to be noted that the peripheral flanges 16, 35 of the housings 10, 30 are parallel to or in the same level of the upper surfaces 12, 32 thereof respectively, to allow the upper surfaces 12, 32 and the peripheral flanges 16, 35 of the housings 10, 30 to be snugly superposed or contacted with each other, when the housing 10 is disposed above the other housing 30 (FIG. 3). In addition, the peripheral flanges 16, 35 of the housings 10, 30 include a complete or enclosed circular or peripheral structure having no notches or openings formed therein, to prevent the heat medium to flow through the peripheral flanges 16, 35 of the housings 10, 30, in order to form a peripheral compartment 88 by the inner peripheral channel 17 of the peripheral swelling 13 and the peripheral recess 33 of the housing 30 (FIG. 3).

Relatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 30 includes a circular or peripheral casing 36 extended downwardly from the upper surface 32 thereof, and also formed or located around the opening 31 thereof, for forming or defining the peripheral recess 33 thereof, and for snugly superposing or contacting or engaging with the peripheral swelling 13 of the housing 10 when the other housing 30 is disposed above the housing 10 (FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 10 includes a groove 18 formed through the peripheral swelling 13 thereof, for allowing the heat medium 90 to laterally flow through the peripheral swelling 13 via the groove 18 thereof (FIG. 2). The other housing 30 includes a duct 37 extended through the peripheral recess 33 thereof, and having a pathway 38 formed therein (FIG. 2), for allowing the heat medium 90 to laterally flow through the peripheral recess 33 thereof via the pathway 38 of the duct 37 (FIG. 3). The groove 18 and the pathway 38 of the two superposed housings 10, 30 will thus form a flowing passage 18, 38 altogether for allowing the heat medium 90 to laterally flow through the peripheral swelling 13 and the peripheral casing 36 of the two housings 10, 30 that are superposed with each other (FIG. 2).

Accordingly, the heat medium 90 flowing into the openings 11, 31 of the housings 10, 30 may be controlled or guided to suitably flow through the groove 18 and the pathway 38 of the housings 10, 30 respectively when the housing 30 is disposed above the other housing 10 (FIG. 2), and may not flow through the flowing passage that is formed by the groove 18 and the pathway 38 of the housings 10, 30 when the housing 10 is disposed above the other housing 30 (FIG. 3). The groove 18 and the pathway 38 of the housings 10, 30 may be coupled to the other heat exchanging tubings or pipings respectively (not shown), for suitably controlling or guiding the heat medium 90 to flow to the other heat exchanging devices or elements (not shown) or the like.

The heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention may include a number of housings 10 and a number of housings 30 alternatively superposed with each other. The housings 10, 30 each preferably includes a mirror symmetric structure, and/or the housings 10, 30 include an identical structure, to allow the housings 10, 30 to be made with the same mold device (not shown), such that the manufacturing cost for the heat exchanger may be suitably decreased.

Accordingly, the heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention includes an improved flow controlling or guiding structure or device, for suitably sealing or guiding the heat medium or fluid to flow through the heat exchanger, and for allowing heat exchanging plates or boards or housings to be changeably disposed and superposed above other.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a first housing including an opening formed therein, and including an upper surface having a peripheral swelling extended upwardly therefrom and located around said opening thereof, said peripheral swelling including a peripheral flange extended into said opening thereof, and including a groove formed through said peripheral swelling thereof, and a second housing including an opening formed therein, and including an upper surface having a peripheral recess formed therein and located around said opening thereof, and including a peripheral wall extended therefrom and located between said peripheral recess and said opening thereof, and a peripheral flange extended into said opening thereof, said second housing including a duct extended through said peripheral recess thereof and having a pathway formed therein, said groove of said first housing and said pathway of said second housing forming a flowing passage altogether for allowing a heat medium to flow through said peripheral swelling and said peripheral recess of said first and said second housings when said second housing is disposed above said first housing, and said peripheral flanges of said first and said second housings being superposed and contacted with each other when said first housing is disposed above said second housing.
 2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral flange of said first housing is parallel to and in the same level of said upper surface thereof.
 3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first housing includes an inner peripheral surface formed thereon and having said peripheral flange extended from said inner peripheral surface thereof.
 4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first housing includes an inner peripheral channel formed and defined within said peripheral swelling.
 5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral flange of said second housing is parallel to and in the same level of said upper surface thereof.
 6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral flange of said second housing is extended from said peripheral wall thereof. 